Stories from Sunday, December 23, 2007

Man in custody for injuring three(12/23/07)SIKESTON -- A man is in custody in connection with a shooting that left three injured late Friday. At 11:56 p.m. Friday, an officer on routine patrol reported hearing gun shots from the 100 block of Luther Street. When the officer went to investigate, he found a man lying in the street with a gun shot wound to the upper body...

Miner man is guilty(12/23/07)BENTON -- A Butler County jury convicted a Scott County resident of first degree statutory sodomy in a case involving the sexual abuse of a 4-year-old child. Christopher Perigo, 34, of Miner was found guilty after the jury deliberated approximately two hours on Dec. 19. Circuit Judge Mark Richardson ordered a sentence advisory report with sentencing set for February...

Focus on food safety before, after meals(12/23/07)SIKESTON -- The holidays are a time for lots of food and visiting. And sometimes at holiday gatherings, food may be left out for long periods, or those preparing it may be in a rush, which can lead to food-borne illnesses. "During the holidays we tend to fix larger quantities of food and be in a bigger rush and perhaps not so focused on food safety," said Tracy Owens, environmental public health specialist with the Scott County Health Department...

Santa baby(12/23/07)Rolen Heuring, 6-month-old son of Dean and Leonna Heuring, clings to his stuffed Santa while waiting for the real Santa Claus by the Christmas tree at his home in Scott County. Boys and girls all over the world are busy preparing for a visit from jolly old St. Nick this week...

No paper Monday and Tuesday(12/23/07)SIKESTON?-- The offices of the Standard Democrat will be closed Monday and Tuesday, and no paper will be published either day in observance of the Christmas holiday. The office will reopen at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday. The staff and families of the Standard Democrat wish you a safe and happy Christmas...

City's real tree collection under way(12/23/07)SIKESTON --When the holiday season has ended, give a gift that will keep giving. If you decorate for the holidays with a live Christmas tree, the City of Sikeston Park Division asks that you "recycle" that tree by donating it to the Christmas tree collection program...

Portageville rebounds from loss; beats Kelly(12/23/07)BROSELEY -- After suffering their first loss of the season, the Portageville Lady Bulldogs bounced back nicely Friday night, coming away with a 58-40 win over the Kelly Lady Hawks in the third place game of the 11th Annual Lady Royals Christmas Classic...

Dexter repeats: Lady Bearcats wear down Naylor in fourth quarter(12/23/07)BROSELEY -- All season long, Dexter girls basketball coach Chad Allen has stressed conditioning to his players. In the fourth quarter Friday night, his players learned just how important it is. Trailing the Naylor Lady Eagles 41-38 as the fourth quarter began in the championship game of the Lady Royals Christmas Classic, Dexter went on a 16-1 run to start the quarter. When the final buzzer sounded they had claimed their second-straight championship 64-52...

NMCC starts slow; falls to Doniphan(12/23/07)BROSELEY -- Less than two weeks ago, NMCC beat Doniphan 48-45 on the road, but Friday night was a different story as the Lady Eagles were held scoreless for the first seven minutes and lost 62-43 in the consolation final of the Lady Royals Christmas Classic...

Top local teams to be on display(12/23/07)CAPE GIRARDEAU -- It's Christmas time again, and that can only mean one thing for area high school basketball fans. The seMissourian Christmas Tournament has had a tradition of almost always delivering some of the best high school basketball competitions. This year should be no exception...

Tournament field looks to be wide open(12/23/07)BLOOMFIELD--The 51st Annual Bloomfield Christmas Tournament is coming up Dec. 26-29, and this year looks to have a different flair than all others. The word flying around amongst coaches, is that the tournament this year, is unlike previous years' because the tournament, for once, is wide open...

VNA employees earn recognition(12/23/07)MALDEN -- Each year, VNA celebrates the accomplishments of key staff at an Awards Banquet in their honor during National Home Health and Hospice Month. This year, the banquet was held at the Malden Community Center. Teresa McCulloch, CEO, began with "I applaud you for the continued improvement in patient outcomes. ...

Branch receives trophy(12/23/07)SIKESTON -- Southern Missouri Bank announced at its annual Christmas Party that the Sikeston branch was the winner of the Traveling Trophy award for 2007. Sikeston was awarded the trophy for their outstanding performance over the past year. Greg Steffens, president of Southern Missouri Bank, said "We are proud to recognize Terry Williams, Tera Kelley and all of their staff with the Traveling Trophy award. ...

MoDOT honored(12/23/07)JEFFERSON CITY - The Excellence in Missouri Foundation recently honored MoDOT with the 2007 Missouri Quality Award. The award, modeled after the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, is the official state recognition for excellence in quality leadership. It is recognized as one of the strongest state-level quality award programs in the country...

Velma Mae Pickard(12/23/07)PARMA - Velma Pickard, 94, died Dec. 21, 2007, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff.
Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie is charge of arrangements, which are incomplete.

Cleaophas Manker(12/23/07)ORAN - Cleaophas Miller Manker, 93, formerly of East Prairie, died at 5 p.m. Dec. 21, 2007, at the Chaffee Nursing Center. Born Oct. 27, 1914, in Steele, to the late Jim and Laura Johnson Miller, she had lived in East Prairie prior to moving to Oran in 1967...

Jackie Swinford(12/23/07)CHAFFEE - Jackie Lester Swinford, 53, died at 10 a.m. Dec. 21, 2007, at the Heartland Care and Rehab in Cape Girardeau. Born Feb. 6, 1954, to Lester S. and Blanch Lee Mandrel Swinford of Brownwood, he was employed a driver with a local trucking company. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he was a member of the Chaffee Veterans of Foreign Wars 3127, the Chaffee Elks 1810 and the Cape Girardeau Eagles Aerie 3775. Also he was affiliated with the Methodist church...

Burg-Armour(12/23/07)Burg- Armour JACKSON -- Angela Lium Burg and Brent Justin Armour were united in marriage during a 5 p.m. outdoor ceremony June 16, 2007, at Prairie Sky Ranch near Veblen, S.D. The Rev. Janine Rew-Werling performed the double- ring ceremony. Reader was Megan Armstrong, cousin of the bride...

Heisserer - Koepp(12/23/07)BENTON -- Andrea Louise Heisserer and Kyle Michael Koepp were united in marriage during an Oct. 27, 2007, ceremony at Guardian Angel Catholic Church in Oran. The Rev. John Harth performed the ceremony. Parents of the couple are Kenneth and JoAnn Heisserer of Benton, Susan Koepp of Sarasota, Fla., and the late Keith Koepp...

Looking Back 12/23(12/23/07)SIKESTON - Hitting their stride for the first time this season, the Sikeston Bulldogs ran through the Cape Girardeau Central High School basketball team there Wednesday night, 20-8, giving the quintet of Coach Vernon Green its first victory. 40 years ago...

Recall the reason for this season(12/23/07)And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxes. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxes, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David): to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child...

Your view: First Christmas(12/23/07)If there had not been a first Christmas, there would be no: Stockings on the mantle, no wreaths on the door. No letters to Santa, tinsel, ornaments, candy canes, Christmas lights, cards, reindeer, Christmas trees, elves, Santa, St. Nicholas, carolers or Christmas music, no decorations. December would be cold, bleak and eventless...

Speakout 12/23(12/23/07)I'm calling concerning about Christmas and the true meaning. I just got done reading the SpeakOut column. Instead of speaking about kids at school and this and that, we should all start praying and thank God for the country we are living in and remember those who are not here. ...